Saakashvili: Talks with Russia Underway over Privatizing Gas Pipeline System

In an interview to the Italian newspaper La Stampa published on February 20, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said that talks are underway with the Russian energy giant Gazprom over privatization of Georgia?s gas pipeline system.

?Negotiations are in process… I prefer not to say more,? Saakashvili answered when he was asked whether Georgia intends to sell its gas pipelines to Russia.

Gazprom makes no secret about the fact that the company is interested in privatizing Georgia?s gas pipeline system. The Georgian gas pipeline system includes pipes which distribute gas in the Georgian regions and pipelines which are used for transporting gas from Russia to Armenia. Observers say that the state-run Gazprom is mainly interested with taking over transit gas pipelines. 

Representatives of Gazprom visited Georgia late in January; however the Georgian leadership claimed that selling of gas pipeline system was not on agenda.